MAPACA

Mid-Atlantic Popular &
American Culture Association

The space race of the 50’s and 60’s ignited the imagination of Americans who were witness to unimaginable strides in technology. This fascination with machines found expression in science fiction books, films, and television. Kubrik’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, which was released one year before Apollo 11, stunned audiences with its representation of space. However, it also introduced a new type of villain—the artificial intelligence antagonist. Around the same time, Arthur Koestler published his book The Ghost in the Machine, titled after a phrase coined by philosopher Gilbert Ryle to refer to the dualist conception of the mind-body relationship, in which the two are separate entities. Koestler argues that the more primitive parts of the human brain are predisposed towards violence and self-destruction. His fear-inducing philosophy, along with the rise of A.I. in science fiction film and television, led to an association between the dualist A.I. bodies and the “ghost in the machine” philosophy. While TV shows like Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica explored the mind-body relationship of A.I. through the Borg and Cylons, the X-Files arguably kicked off a direct relationship with Koestler in its episode “The Ghost in the Machine.” From there, American television programs began using the phrase to denote any episode dealing with A.I. This paper will analyze several “ghost in the machine” episodes, from shows including The X-Files, The Flash, Bones, and even Degrassi, and will apply Koestler’s writing in an attempt to better understand how fear of A.I. is being expressed in American television, and what the fears actually are. As we move closer to the potential development of a sentient “computer that thinks,” we will need to prepare for the confrontation of our anxieties concerning the mind—human or otherwise—and its capabilities.